Brazilian Álvaro Filho is the real deal. At only 27 years of age, he has already carved out his spot among the sport’s best in a country that is known for its beach stars, all the while always donning his state’s traditional head wear on podiums. A silver medalist in two junior World Champions, Alvaro rose to fame when at only 22 years of age he won silver alongside legend Ricardol Santos at the Senior World Championship, claiming MVP honors along the way:
“Meanwhile, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Alvaro Filho not only performed superbly on the sand but the statistics also reflected how well he played. The 22-year-old topped the most number of spikes and the digs illustrating how often he was served to while impressing with his back court play.”
He recently spoke to FIVB about a lifetime dedicated to the sport:
“As a kid I never thought of becoming a professional beach volleyball player. I was young, my father would tell me to study and do different things – like what all parents would tell their child. However, I could not imagine myself living the life of an engineer or a lawyer. Beach volleyball changed my life. I was not formally trained to be a beach volleyball player as a kid, but I had a great opportunity to train with the best in my hometown – Joao Pessoa. At that time, the best team that trained there were Ricardo and Emanuel. They inspired me a lot to represent Brazil and become a professional player. This growing sport gave me a different outlook in life. Sometimes you just have to open your mind and see how beautiful the world is. I want to thank beach volleyball for taking me to these beautiful places and giving me unforgettable experiences.”
Alvaro is now one of the favorites player in the World Tour to take on the next step and add World Championship and Olympic gold medals to his resume.
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